Loading device



R. R. SCHUTT, DECD.

1. m. KEITH. EXECUTOR.

LOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1921. 1,389,995, PatentedSept. 6, 1921.

K0 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

1% h. M M N W a. 9.41%;

UNITED STATES PATENT .oFFicE.

' I RICHARD R. SCHUTT, nEoEAsEn, LATE or SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA, BY JOHNM. KEITH, EXECU'I'OR, OF SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA, ASSIGNOR To UNITED FRUITCOMPANY, or :BOST N, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

LOADING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

- Application filed February 1, 1921. Serial No. 441,693.

. To aZZ whom-it may concern fates of America, residing at San Jose,

Costa Rica, did invent certain new and useful Improvements 111 LoadingDevices, of which the following is a spec1fication,-and

A for which I have filed applications in Holland December 12, 1919;Haiti December 19, 1919; Greet Britain December 15, 1919; FranceDecember 9, 1919; Belgium December 12, 1919; Santo Domingo March 22,1920; Costa Rica January 28, 1920; Germany December 10, 1919; UruguayOctober 19, 1920; Argentine October 11, 1920.

The invention relates to a device for transferring material from a dockto a ship or vice versa and comprises a framework carrying a series ofload carrying pockets supported on endless chains which are driven by anengine mounted on the frame.

The invention will be understood from the accomanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a detail showing the end of the device mounted over the hatchof a ship;

Fig. 3 is another detail showing the chain driving mechanism; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of the ball and socket mechanism used 011 the deckend of the device, when in operation.

Referring to the drawings, 1, is the girder frame of sufficient lengthto extend from the dock to the hatch. This frame carries a pair orroller chains 2, on which are supported in any suitable manner as bycross bars, a series of flexible pockets 15, for receiving the bunchesof bananas, bags of sugar, or other articles. The rollers travel alongSuitable flanges on the girder frame. At each end of the frame ismounted a shaft carrying near its ends sprocket wheels 4, 4, with whichmesh the links of the chain. The chains are preferably made indetachable sections, each carrying several pockets, and are long enoughto provide a depending bight, 5, adapted to extend down into the hold ofthe ship, this bight havingat its lower end a pair of sprocket wheels 25mounted on a cross shaft 6 which carries a roller 7. Weights 8, areattached to the ends of the shaft 6. The pockets are made of anysuitable strong flexible material, such as canvas, and are secured tocross bars whose ends are fastened to the chains.

At the inboard end of the girder frame is provided an extension framecarrying at its lower end wheels, 10, 10. Midway of the girder frame areprovided downwardly extending inclined beams, 11, 11, suitably braced tothe girder frame. The beams 11 and 11 cross each other and theirprojecting ends 12, 12, form bearings for the shaft 13 of a truck havingwheels, 14, 14.

At the outer end of the frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is provided aball and socket joint whose parts are preferably made of bronze. Thefemale member, 30, is bolted to the channel beams 31. The male member,32, is bolted to planking having at one end a channel 33 for engagingthe edge of the hatch 34, and at the other end, a block 35 resting onthe deck 36.

At the ship end of the girder frame is mounted on a platform a motor,16, shown as a rotary steam engine, although an electric motor might beused, whose shaft 17 drives through a worm and worm wheel 17 ashaft 18mounted on hearings in the girder frame. Pinions 19 on the shaft 18drive gears 20, 20 on shafts 21, 22, journaled in the frame, theseshafts carrying the sprocket wheels 4, 4. Idlers 23, 23, guide the lowerruns of the chains.

The engine 16 may be provided with a flexible hose by which connectionmay be made to a steam-line on the ship. Suitable means, such as a chainand ring are provided on the outboard end for attaching hoisting chains.Bight 5, may be made of proper length to reach ship-holds of vary ingdepths. The lengths of chain which form the bight 5 are collected, whenthe device is not in use, at the dock end of the ma chine, where theymay be supported on brackets, carried by the frame.

The whole device can therefore be moved about on the wheels 10 and 14.When it is to be put in operation, the engine end of the device ishoisted on to the ship and lowered on to the ball bearing located at theedge of the hatch. The motor is then operated to lower the bight 5 intothe hold, a sufficient number of chain sections being used to enable theend of the bight to reach the hold desired. The motor is then operatedto drive the conveyer in the loading or unloading direction. WVhenloading from a clock, the bunches of bananas, or other ar- Obviously themachine can be operated in either direction and is adapted for useeither in loading or unloading. The'wheels 10 on the dock end and theball and socket on the ship end enable the whole frame structure toaccommodate itself to movements of the ship relative to the dock.

I claim: ,1. A load handling machine of the typ described comprising aframe constructed and arranged to extend from a pomt on a;

i ship to a point outside the ship, a conveyor carried by the frame fortransferringmaterlal between said two points means lncluding one end ofthe frame on the ship and posed at an angle to each other to. define acentrally elevated portion. V

QApparatus according to claim 1 in which t e means for movablysupporting V the shore end of the conveyor is a wheeled support. i r

5. Apparatus according to claim 3' including frame elements dependingfrom the central portion and a removable truck adapted to engage thesaid frame elements.

JOHN M. KEITH,

, Executor ofthe estate of Richard R. Se/mt't, ing a universal motionelement for support- V (Zeeeased. I

